WAC 388-482-0005

How does being a student of higher education impact my eligibility for the Washington Basic Food program?

(1) For Basic Food, we consider you a student of higher education if you are:

(a) Age eighteen through forty-nine;

(b) Physically and mentally able to work (we determine if you are unable to work);

(c) Enrolled in an institution of higher education at least half-time as defined by the institution; and

(d) Enrolled in coursework considered to be higher education.

(2) An institution of higher education is:

(a) Any educational institution that requires a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate;

(b) A business, trade, or vocational school that requires a high school diploma or high school equivalency; or

(c) A two-year or four-year college or university that offers a degree but does not require a high school diploma or high school equivalency.

(3) If you are a student of higher education, you must also meet one of the following conditions to be eligible for Basic Food:

(a) You have paid employment of at least twenty hours per week.

(b) You are self-employed, work, and earn at least the amount you would earn working twenty hours at the federal minimum wage;

(c) You were participating in a state or federal work study program during the regular school year.

(i) To qualify under this condition, you must:

(A) Have approval for work study at the time of application for Basic Food;

(B) Have work study that is approved for the school term; and

(C) Anticipate actually working during that time.

(ii) The work study exemption begins:

(A) The month in which the school term starts; or

(B) The month work study is approved, whichever is later.

(iii) Once begun, the work study exemption shall continue until:

(A) The end of the month in which the school term ends; or

(B) We find out you refused a work study assignment.

(d) You are responsible for more than half the care of a dependent person in your assistance unit (AU) who is age five or younger;

(e) You are responsible for more than half the care of a dependent person in your AU who is between age six and eleven, if we have determined that there is not adequate child care available during the school year to allow you to:

(i) Attend class and satisfy the twenty-hour work requirement; or

(ii) Take part in a work study program.

(f) You are a single parent responsible for the care of your natural, step, or adopted child who is eleven or younger;

(g) You are an adult who has the parental responsibility of a child who is age eleven or younger if none of the following people live in the home:

(4) If you are a student of higher education and the only reason you are eligible for Basic Food is because you are participating in work study, you are only eligible while you work and receive money from work study. If your work study stops during the summer months, you must meet another condition to be an eligible student during this period.

(5) If you are a student of higher education, your status as a student:

(a) Begins the first day of the school term; and

(b) Continues through vacations. This includes the summer break if you plan to return to school for the next term.

(6) We do not consider you a student of higher education if you:

(a) Graduate;

(b) Are suspended or expelled;

(c) Drop out; or

(d) Do not intend to register for the next normal school term other than summer school.